Daisy, the national smart space installation and services company, has partnered with PrepTECH to address the challenges in finding and retaining talent, which has been a huge inhibitor to the expansion and prosperity of integration firms nationwide.
PrepTECH is a systems integration-focused staffing company led by respected industry veterans Helen Heneveld and Paul Starkey, who have designed a comprehensive recruitment and training program to bring new entry-level talent into the field and provide a clear path for career advancement.
“At Daisy, we are always in the market for great technicians who want an exciting career with the fastest growing national player in the industry,” noted Daisy Co-Founder and CEO Hagan Kappler. “Our partnership with PrepTECH supports Daisy’s rapid growth by streamlining the onboarding process and bringing exciting new talent with the right attitude and aptitude for our integration companies. Meanwhile, new Daisy hires have a proven pathway to success where they can grow into leadership roles and even business ownership through our unique franchise model.”
Daisy and PrepTECH officially launched an apprentice program at Daisy branches in Connecticut, California, and Florida, with additional rollouts to other Daisy branches planned.
“We want to help our integration branches strategically get ahead of their staffing needs for our ongoing growth and strengthen their businesses with pre-qualified candidates who are eager to learn and expand their skillset,” Kappler said. “Newly hired Daisy employees, meanwhile, have the support of a national company dedicated to empowering and supporting them with training, certifications, and professional development.”
Daisy and PrepTECH are working together to spearhead the growth and fortification of the systems integration industry by cultivating a fresh pool of prepared junior technicians.
“We specifically look for people outside of the industry, which helps us expand the staffing pool rather than just shift within our existing tech pool,” Starkey explained.
Through a carefully designed and curated curriculum, PrepTECH is able to bring these inexperienced — yet qualified and ambitious — entry-level candidates up to speed quickly and well-aligned with the Daisy culture.
“To have junior techs hit the ground running is a huge advantage to Daisy!” Kappler added. “With seasoned home tech professionals like Helen Heneveld and Paul Starkey leading the charge at PrepTECH, we know the new Daisy hires possess all the qualities we need to help our existing branches provide the utmost service and support available to our valued clientele.”
The PrepTECH apprentice program involves multiple steps and a rigorous vetting process to determine the potential of applicants. From a personality test and critical thinking assessment to 40 hours of online training and testing, all the bases are covered and geared to ensure the best candidates for the job.
“It’s an intensive 4- to 6-week bootcamp that focuses on fundamentals,” Heneveld said. “Apprentices come away with a good working knowledge of what’s expected at the jobsite, and the processes, terminology, and tools to complete basic tasks efficiently and accurately.”
After a PrepTECH candidate is qualified and trained, their profile is shared with Daisy for placement. From there, the new apprentice follows a 90-day Skills Validation Checklist to ensure they grasp daily tasks and are proficient at their work. Further, new hires are placed with a Daisy mentor for additional guidance and support as they onboard.
“To succeed and stand out as integrators we need to provide our clients with personalized, ongoing, and real-time support, all of which require a team of well-trained, friendly, customer-focused technicians,” said Matt Walin, new Daisy branch owner. “For the first time, through Daisy’s unique apprentice program, we’re finally able to make inroads.”
To learn more about Daisy’s franchising opportunity or apply to be a Daisy franchise, applicants can visit daisyco.com/franchising and existing integrators can head to daisyco.com/conversions. To learn more about PrepTECH and its apprentice programs, go to https://preptech.com/content/Default.aspx
